Alan B. Griffith

Academic Degrees

Ph.D., University of Maryland

B.S., M.S., Pennsylvania State University

Areas of Expertise

Ecology

Wetlands

Rare Plant Conservation

Alan B. Griffith, Associate Professor of Biology, holds a Ph.D. (2002) in plant biology from the University of Maryland, an M.S. (1991) in resource economics from Pennsylvania State University, teacher certification (1986) from Millersville State University, and a B.S. (1981) in biology and environmental resources management from Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Griffith previously was an economist in the Energy Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy. He also taught high school biology and college environmental and conservation courses, in addition to volunteering with the Peace Corps in Senegal, West Africa.

Dr. Griffith’s articles have appeared in Ecological Applications, Plant Ecology, Wetlands, and Northeastern Naturalist. He has received grants from The Nature Conservancy, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and The National Science Foundation. He also is a member of the Ecological Society of America and the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of The Ecological Society of America. Dr. Griffith is an expert in wetlands, wetlands ecology, rare plant conservation, and plant ecology. He has spent 10 years researching sensitive joint-vetch, a rare plant of the mid-Atlantic tidal wetlands. He also actively participates in research and assessment to improve undergraduate student learning. He is currently leading the development of the UMW Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), a plan designed to enhance the experiences of first-year students.